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Five riders vying for the lead in the 2015 Longines World’s Best Jockey Standings

With 28 races to go, the 2015 LONGINES World’s Best Jockey competition looks like it will be too close to call until the finish as five jockeys remain within 10 points of each other at the top of the leaderboard.

Lanfranco “Frankie” Dettori took the lead over the weekend after guiding Golden Horn to his third Group 1 victory this season in the QIPCO Irish Champion Stakes during Longines Irish Champions Weekend. Dettori now has 76 points, just four in front of Victor Espinoza, who piloted American Pharoah to Triple Crown glory this year.

Sitting tied in third are Maxime Guyon and Javier Castellano, who each have 70 points. Guyon is the regular rider of gifted miler Solow, while Castellano had tremendous success at the highest level during the famed Saratoga meet in New York.

Not far behind is James McDonald, who has 66 points. McDonald, who had a commanding lead early in the year, rides predominately in Australia. With the spring racing season getting underway there, he will have the opportunity to regain the top spot.

The scoring for the award is based upon performances in the 100 highest-rated Group 1 and Grade 1 races established for the year by the LONGINES World’s Best Racehorse Rankings Committee. The scoring incorporates races from 1 December of last year until 30 November of this year. Jockeys accrue 12 points for a win, 6 points for placing second, and 4 points for placing third.

The International Federation of Horseracing Authorities (IFHA) is the world peak body for the international sport of Thoroughbred racing. Its members are the national racing authorities across the globe which stage Thoroughbred races.

Major areas of the IFHA’s activities include:

Making and amending the International Agreement on Breeding, Racing and Wagering (the IABRW)

Policy development relating to welfare and safety of horses and riders

International Race Planning and Grading (“black type”)

World Rankings

Equine Prohibited Substances and Practices

Harmonization of Race Day Rules

Fostering commercial development of the racing industry globally

The IFHA is a foundation member with Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) of the International Horse Sports Confederation and is affiliated to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).